In May 1909 one of the many irons Carl Fisher had in the fire (aside from constructing the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, organizing aviation events, motorcycle and auto racing competition at the track, operating his auto dealership, launching an airplane manufacturing business and Empire, the car manufacturer, as well as serving as president of Prest-O-Lite...whew!!!

Did you know the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's first air show was the week of June 17, 1910? The team from the Wright Brothers dominated and their star pilot was Walter Brookins who set a new world's altitude record of over a mile in the sky.

The Giant's Despair Hill Climb in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania traces its roots back to it inaugural contest in 1906. There have been interruptions and most significantly a hiatus of 33 years when the competition was not organized from 1917 through 1950.

Regionalism in the United States was evident in the early days of the automobile industry. There was the Euro-centric northeast and clusters of factories in “the west,” particularly in Detroit, Indianapolis and scattered around Ohio cities.